Out of the Ashes
by TyRo96
Summary: Book 5: The restoration of Republic City has begun and Korra and Asami begin their vacation in the Spirit World, but in the meantime, Mako, who has returned to his detective duties, receives troubling news about a covert attack that endangers of all of Republic City's citizens.
1. Just the Two of Us

Chapter one: Just the two of us…

**Author's Note: Hello guys. I would like to start off by saying thanks for the favs and follows so far. I started my second semester of college last month, so this story had to be put aside for a few weeks while I transitioned back into school life. When I came back to the three chapters I had written, I decided that I wasn't satisfied with what I had; I also wanted to come up with some sort of plot to make the story more interesting for the reader. So I changed my title and have rewritten the first chapter, and I must say that I was definitely not expecting it to be longer than the original three chapters put together, but I hope that I have improved upon what I originally wrote. It follows mostly the same path as the original first chapter.**

**I hope you guys like it, and also, feedback would be greatly appreciated.**

_I'm just so happy you're here now._

Korra sat alone in her room on Air Temple Island reflecting on the moment that she had with Asami. Her friend's words had imprinted into her mind and kept replaying over and over.

_I'm just so happy you're here now._

Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding reception had ended close to an hour ago, so most of the guests were gone. Korra had already told Tenzin she would be away for a few days, but she didn't tell him that she was bringing anyone. Asami left earlier to pack and make plans for what was to be done in her absence at Future Industries; then she was to meet Korra in the city. However, when Korra finally got to her bedroom, she began to feel troubled.

A rush of anxiety overcame her when she was in the confines of her own room. She could do nothing but sit and think about that conversation. The way Asami spoke… her expressions… they weren't part of Asami's usual demeanor, but they were somewhat familiar. Korra's thoughts drifted to the past – to three years ago. _I want you to know that I'm here for you. _Korra felt like her stomach was being twisted into knots.

Over the past few years, Korra had come to accept the fact that she had deep feelings for Asami, but she had never said anything. Her fear had always held her back from openly admitting it; Korra was scared of the possibility that Asami would become distant if she rejected her feelings. Their friendship was probably… no it _was_ the most important thing to Korra, and she couldn't lose it.

She used to think that she would never be able to gather the courage that she would need to risk their friendship and confess to Asami. Korra would need something – a sign – to give some indication that her feelings wouldn't be thrown back in her face. Asami's gentle voice rushed through her head again.

_I want you to know that I'm here for you… I'm just so happy you're here now… I don't think I could have handled losing you and my father in the same day._

Then Korra thought of the embrace that she shared with Asami as they sat on the steps overlooking the bay. At first, it was meant as an act of comfort for a friend, but as they held each other on those stairs, it began to feel like it meant more than that. While she sat alone on her bed, Korra could still imagine the feeling of her friend's hands tenderly grasping at her back while Asami nestled her chin into her neck; she could almost smell the sweet perfume that Asami had been wearing that night.

As she lowered her head, Korra furrowed her brow and clutched the edge of her bed tightly with both hands. _Damn it!_ _I can't take this anymore!_ Korra thought to herself_. I have to tell her._

She jumped up and started grabbing at various articles of clothing, tossing everything aside that she didn't need. She took a couple of her shirts and stuffed them into a nearby backpack; she then grabbed some blankets and other necessities. On her desk was a sack of leftovers she had snatched from the serving table at the wedding; she stuffed them into her bag also.

Korra looked down and frowned. _I almost forgot. I better change. _Korra slipped out of her blue Southern Water Tribe dress, unraveled her hair and let it fall into place. She donned her usual blue sleeveless shirt and her dark, loose-fitting pants with fur draped around the waist, and after she threw on her backpack and put on her arm-length gloves, she headed outside.

As she began to make her way to the edge of Air Temple Island, Korra heard a voice call out to her. "Where are you off to, Korra?" She turned to see Jinora walking over to her. "You look like you're going somewhere," she said with a rather concerned look.

_Great… _

The emotional state that Korra was in left her wanting to avoid any confrontation at that moment, but she couldn't do too much to help that now. "Oh, Jinora… I'm just… I was going to take a few days and relax. Like a vacation I suppose," Korra said nervously as she tugged on one of the straps of her bag. She didn't exactly want to get into the details of her trip.

Jinora crossed her arms. "You're going on a vacation alone?" she spoke, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Korra rubbed the back of her neck while she thought about what she wanted to say. She didn't want to tell anyone about Asami, but she also would have hated herself for lying to Jinora. "No, I'm not going alone… A-Asami's coming with me… I've already checked in with Tenzin to let him know I would be gone."

Jinora now had both eyebrows raised into a sly expression. "Wait, so _you_ and _Asami_ are going on a vacation _together_?" She gave a light smirk. "To where?" Jinora had always been perceptive, and now, she had this sneaky look on her face.

_Oh no..._

Korra sighed as she brought one hand to her hip. "Look, Jinora, it—it's not like that. Asami has never been, you know... and I—um, offered to take her… "

Jinora let out a quiet chuckle; her smirk was now a beaming smile. The young airbender just looked at Korra with knowing eyes, not saying a word.

"What?!" Korra yelled, throwing her arms out to the side. Jinora's staring was starting to get extremely uncomfortable.

The young airbender wrapped her arms behind her and cocked her head to the side. "Are you taking the ferry to the city?" She rocked onto her heels.

"Um, yeah…"

"Good," Jinora spoke firmly as she spun around and started to walk off toward the docks, but then she stopped after a few steps. Over her shoulder, she glanced at Korra. "That will give us some time to talk," she said with a smile; then, she continued walking, not giving the Avatar a chance to respond.

Korra trailed behind Jinora, who had an obvious skip in her step. They reached the boat that would take them to the other side of Yue Bay and ascended the ramp to board. While doing so, Korra was mentally preparing for an onslaught of questions from the young airbending master, and she started to feel her chest grow tense, which was definitely going to make this _interrogation_ much harder.

As the ferry set sail, Jinora laid down an air glider that she acquired on the walk down to the docks and then gracefully hopped up on the side-railing of the ship and crossed her legs. She was staring at Korra again. Just staring. In silence. Korra was a few feet away, trying to ignore the clever airbender, but she just couldn't shake the feeling of brown eyes staring a hole straight through her. Saying that she was uncomfortable would have been an understatement. Korra ran her hands firmly through her hair, scratching at her scalp. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jinora swaying one leg. Just staring.

Korra lowered her head. "Are you just going to sit and stare at me?" she said with hostility in her tone.

Jinora held up her hands. "Hey, I'm waiting on you here, Korra."

"And what does _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I can tell that you have something you want to talk about – something that's really giving you a lot of stress," Jinora closed her eyes and smiled. ", _aaannd _I have a feeling that this has something to do with a… _certain someone_."

_Asami... _Raven hair and red lips flashed through Korra's mind, bringing a small smile to her face.

Jinora was a great friend and had grown up to be very mature for her age; then there was the fact that she was a master airbender and one of the most spiritual people in the world. If there was someone that she could trust with her secret, it would have to be Jinora.

After a few moments in silence, Korra turned and walked slowly to a place right beside Jinora and sat down against the railing. In turn, Jinora carefully slid down from her seat to be right next to the Avatar.

With a deep sigh, Korra spoke with her head low. "Was it that obvious?"

"Well, I've had my suspicions, but I would say it wasn't that apparent until now." Jinora chuckled. "You reminded me of when my dad caught me trying to sneak out to see Kai one night about a year ago. _That _didn't go over so well." Korra perked up and giggled quietly at the thought of a furious Tenzin. "I could barely get two words out of my mouth before he was dragging me back to my room. Then, he threatened to send Kai to the Eastern Air Temple the next day, but Mom was able to talk him down."

"That must have been pretty awkward for Kai."

Jinora responded with a giggle. "You don't even want to know, Korra. Kai hardly look at me for a whole week after that." The airbender paused for a few moments and then reverted to a more serious tone. "So… you and _Asami?"_

_Here it goes… _Korra had to finally get it off her chest and at least tell _someone_.

Korra ran both of her hands roughly through her short brown hair and held them there. "I… don't know what I'm supposed to do, Jinora. Asami is my best friend." Jinora wrapped one arm around Korra and held her. "If I told her, it could ruin everything between us." Korra started to sound frantic. "I've wanted to tell her _so much_. I told myself that I would tell her… but I'm not sure if I actually can. Anytime I think about it, I feel like I'm gonna be sick."

Jinora laid her other hand on Korra's arm. "And what is it _exactly_ that you would want to say to her?"

Korra began to choke up, and her chest swelled with emotion. Jinora was going to make her say it – make her confess. It took Korra a while to find the nerve to speak as she fought back tears.

"I'm in love with her."

Jinora drew back in surprise. She paused for a few seconds before she spoke again. "I… I wasn't expecting it to be that serious."

Korra leaned back and laid her head up against the side of the ship and returned with a despondent chuckle; those words were finally out in the open. "Yeah, neither was I," mumbled Korra. "Right after Harmonic Convergence, I started to really enjoy being around Asami; we had fun together. Then, I kinda started to have sort-of-a crush on her."

She gestured with both hands out in front of her. "But I tried to ignore it because she was my friend… and a girl, which really confused me at the time. Everything just got worse and worse though," she said with a sigh. "I found myself always staring _way_ too long or finding excuses to be around her.

"Then, there was the Red Lotus..." Korra paused and took a deep breath. "We fought our way out of a dessert together," she spoke with a slight smirk. "I didn't realize it at the time, but that's when it started to change to something a little more than just a crush."

Korra's countenance shifted to one of sadness. "Asami took care of me when I was in a wheelchair, but I hated for her to see me that way: broken and useless. And even though she has a massive company to run, she offered to come with me to the South, but I didn't want her to put her life on hold because of me.

"And then when I saw her for the first time in three years, I almost lost it. After all that time away – when I saw her… I could barely breathe, or speak. I suppose that's when I knew that I loved her." Korra finally glanced over to Jinora, who by now had her brow raised and her eyes open in loving manner, resting her cheek on her fist. Korra sighed, "There you go… That's what you wanted to know, right?" She narrowed her eyes at the airbender. "Oh, and if you start to compare my situation to one of your romance novels, Jinora, I swear I _will_ throw you over the side of this ship."

"I won't. I promise," Jinora said with a huge smile and her hands raised in submission. She leaned in and wrapped Korra into a tight hug, which Korra promptly returned.

"Thank you for getting me to talk about this. It feels good to have someone finally know."

Jinora leaned back out of the hug and looked Korra straight in the eyes. "I'm glad that I was able to help… but Korra, it's clear that you really care about Asami and that she makes you happy. You really need to tell her how you feel."

"I'm just scared of what she would say or how she would react," Korra replied with a dejected sigh.

"You know, she could feel the same way about you."

"And what if she doesn't?" Korra's worried tone returned.

"Look," sighed Jinora. "You can't go around hiding the fact that you love Asami forever, Korra. You _have _to tell her." She tilted her head and smirked in a sly manner. "And you know, I have a feeling that things will turn out better than how you think they will."

Korra shot her friend a confused look. "_What?_"

"Oh…never mind."

That wasn't an acceptable answer to Korra. She immediately grabbed Jinora by the collar and pulled her closer. "Do you know something that I don't?!"

Korra's reaction only made Jinora laugh. "Nothing. I swear," she said as she plucked Korra's hands from her shirt. "I just… have a feeling. I am a spiritual master you know, and I was able to read _you_ right." She pointed a finger at the Avatar. "You're going to tell Asami before you get done with your vacation, or it's not going to be me taking a swim in the bay."

That's just what Korra needed: a deadline to confess her deepest secret to her best friend. This idea definitely did not sit well with her, but she reluctantly began to accept it. "Fine… I will," she said unhappily.

"Promise?"

Korra took a deep and ragged breath. "I promise."

"Good!" Jinora stood to her feet, followed by Korra. She leaned forward and gave Korra another tight and caring hug. "Well, I should be going. We are almost to the docks, so I'll leave you to think about what you have to do." Jinora stepped back and picked up the air glider that she had brought with her.

Despite the fact that the situation had been very uncomfortable for Korra, she thought that talking to Jinora had helped her in some way. She had at least spoken her feelings aloud for the first time, which would probably show to be useful later.

"Thank you, Jinora."

"Don't mention it," Jinora spoke as she opened her glider. "I'll see you when you get back, and you can tell me all about the trip." She winked, waved goodbye and pushed off with a gust of airbending.

The ferry finally made it to the other side of the bay, and Korra was able to head off in the direction of the Spirit Portal. As she walked down a ruined street, Korra surveyed the damage that Kuvira had caused. The street she walked on had large cracks and splits along its entire path, and in many places, whole pieces of the road were missing. Debris covered both sidewalks, and it appeared that most shops had their windows broken or doors busted down. Korra couldn't tell if the buildings' scars were created by Kuvira's soldiers… or looters, but she hoped that the latter wasn't the case.

This was the first time Korra had walked through the city at night since she had created the new spirit portal. At this time of night, Republic City used to be full of excitement with bright lights lining the streets, but now it seemed to be completely lifeless. Some regions of the city remained untouched, so some residents were able to remain in their homes, but the majority of the downtown area had been damaged with some areas completely destroyed. Because of this, tens of thousands of evacuees were forced to live in emergency housing on the outskirts of Republic City.

Korra couldn't help but think that part of this destruction was her fault. If she had defeated Kuvira in Zaofu, Republic City would still be the bustling metropolis that it once was. _I just wasn't strong enough._ Her heart ached at the fact that she could have prevented _all_ of this.

Korra tried to shake away her troubled thoughts. She didn't want to feel miserable when she met with Asami; this was supposed to be a peaceful and relaxing trip. Also, she wanted her head to be clear so she could focus on finally telling Asami about her feelings. The thought of her impending confession once again brought an anxious feeling to Korra's stomach.

She had almost reached the spirit portal, but there was still no sign of Asami. _She must already be at the portal waiting on me. _She quickened her pace as she passed ruined cars and crumbling buildings.

"Hey Korra." someone called out as she passed an alleyway. Korra darted around in response to the familiar voice.

"Who's th-" Korra gulped when she saw who it was. "Oh, Asami." Her friend was leaning up against the alley wall. "What are you doing here? I thought you would have already been waiting for me up ahead."

"I knew that this road was the quickest way to the portal from the ferry, so I assumed that this would be the way you would come." Asami stepped out from the alley and stood close to Korra. "Now we can walk down to the portal together."

Korra swallowed again. Her nerves were starting to get the best her as she panned her eyes up and down Asami's figure. She had exchanged her gorgeous red dress for her standard red and black Future Industries coat and loose-fitting pants, and her beautiful raven hair was pulled behind her head into an elegant low ponytail. Asami's presence made Korra unconsciously draw in a deep breath.

It was easier before this night when Korra was ever around Asami. She always pushed her feelings aside and buried them so she could make it through the day. But now, since she finally decided to open up to Asami, her emotions were front and center in her mind, hindering her focus. Her heart raced, and all she could think about was those three words.

"Uh, Korra…" Asami waved her hand in front of her.

Korra snapped back to reality and let out the breath that she had apparently been holding. _Keep it together, Korra. Don't screw this up. _"Uh, s-sorry. I was just thinking."

Asami grinned and crossed her arms. "Thinking about _what_ exactly?"

_Uh, well… you… us. _"Just where I thought we should go in the Spirit World. I've… been trying to think of a place where we should stay our first night." Korra nervously shifted in place. _No I haven't._

"Well I'm sure you'll think of somewhere nice." Asami turned toward the light of the spirit portal further down the street. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." Korra tried to adjust her tone to hide her anxiety as she took a few slow breaths. "Let's go." She began to walk beside Asami toward the portal.

Korra remained silent for most of the walk. She was too focused on what she wanted to say, and every step she took closer to the portal increased the tension building inside her.

"I'm glad you asked me to go on a vacation with you," Asami said, breaking the silence and bringing Korra out of her inner thoughts. "We've never been able to do something like this… together." Asami glanced over at Korra as she brushed her hand through her dark hair.

That word brought a shiver up Korra's spine. _Together._ Korra was already finding it difficult to stay focused on the road ahead, and Asami's sweet, calm words weren't helping. The portal was getting closer, and to Korra, that portal represented what she would soon have to do. Of course, she could always stop where she was in the middle of the street and turn back; she could probably come up with some sort of excuse-

_No_.

She couldn't just turn back now. That exchange on the island stairs had changed everything for Korra. She saw something in Asami that told her that there was the possibility for there to be more to their friendship, but even if she _was_ being completely delusional, Korra knew she needed to confess for the sake of her own sanity.

"Well, I thought it was the least I could do."

The Avatar tilted her head upward and drew in a breath of fresh air, hoping to finally calm her nerves. She needed to gather herself together if she was going to be showing her friend the Spirit World, and although it was just a marginal improvement, the cool air did seem to help.

Moments later, both Korra and Asami came to a stop. They had reached the point where the street came to a crumbling end and the ground morphed into a steep slope. The creation of the new spirit gate had created a large crater spanning at least a hundred yards across and was at least ten to twenty feet below street level. They would have to descend into the crater to reach the portal.

Korra, finally regaining her senses, looked at Asami. "Are you ready to go to the Spirit World?" she said, as the column of light bathed them in a yellowish glow.

Asami nodded in excitement and stepped onto the steep slope, with Korra following closely behind. They made the short trek up to the portal.

Asami stopped several feet from the ball of light. She had never been to the Spirit World, so her hesitation was understandable. Korra, guessing that her friend was waiting on her to make the next move, slowly turned her head toward Asami. Asami returned the look with her own stunning gaze; her emerald eyes were sparkling in the light of the portal, making Korra's chest tighten. Without thinking, Korra reached out with her hand as Asami immediately responded with her own.

While they both walked together to the portal hand-in-hand, Korra felt a warmth creep across her face; Asami's soft touch was enough to make her blush. After all that Korra had been through for the past several years, through all of the pain and suffering, she believed that this moment was beginning to make up for it.

They both simultaneously stepped into the glowing portal, but before Korra led her friend any further, she felt a slight tug on her hand. Korra turned to see Asami looking deep into her eyes; her illustrious raven hair was flowing in the stirring energy of the portal. Was she having second thoughts? Did she want to go back? These questions skipped through Korra's mind. She reached out and grasped Asami's free hand and held it closer.

"Is something wrong?" Korra said with a worried expression. "If… if you want to go back, I understand."

Lowering her eyes to the ground below them, Asami bit her lip and spoke softly. "No… That's not it."

As Asami continued no further with an explanation, Korra noticed that she seemed somewhat tense. "Asami, what's wrong?" Korra said, tightening her grip on Asami's soft hands.

After a short pause, Asami lifted her face up, but she seemed back to normal. "Oh, it's nothing, Korra," she said with her usual smile. "I'm ready to go."

"Ok then," the Avatar hesitantly responded. She couldn't help but think that something was still troubling her friend. Asami said that nothing was wrong, but something in her voice said otherwise. Turning back to face the center of the portal, Korra interlaced her fingers with Asami's.

"One…" Korra glanced over to Asami, who returned the look with a nod of her head. "Two… Three…"

With a tug of her hand, Korra led Asami through the portal in a flash of light. The rush of energy that passed through the body during the crossing was a soothing feeling that covered Korra from head to toe, but she was more focused on Asami's gentle hand in hers. As she took another step, the bright light around them faded out to reveal the colorful landscape beyond.

Korra stopped to give Asami, who now had her eyes and mouth wide open, the chance to take everything in. They were standing near the spot where she talked to Kuvira after she blocked the spirit beam. There were purple grasses and purple flowers all around with a few twisted spirit trees doting the landscape. Pale blue mountains were in the distance, providing a striking contrast to the darker sky.

Looking at Asami's stunned expression, Korra felt happy that she was able to show her friend something exciting and new – something that she had never experienced before. She glanced down to their intertwining fingers as she realized that she was unknowingly caressing Asami's soft skin with her thumb.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Korra spoke up, still staring at their hands.

"It… It's amazing, Korra," Asami said as she smiled with excitement and scanned the landscape from left to right, eventually looking back to meet Korra's eyes. "Thank you so much for bringing me here. It's unlike anything I imagined."

"Well just wait until you see some of the other places. There's definitely plenty more to see than what's just around here," Korra said as she gestured to the landscape around them.

Asami seemed puzzled to what Korra just said. "Plenty more? These fields seem to go on for miles." She glanced around, appearing to look for anything that wasn't far-reaching expanses of purple grass or twisted trees.

Korra let go of Asami's hand and began to walk forward, which she immediately began to regret since she missed the warmth in-between her fingers. Nevertheless, Korra didn't stop. She took a few steps forward and turned to face Asami with one hand gesturing to the sights around them. "What you see around us is just one small part of the Spirit World."

"Then how are we supposed to get somewhere else?"

"You can go anywhere in the Spirit World as long as you have me," Korra said as she raised her thumb to her chest. "The one and only Avatar." She tried to sound like she had plenty of confidence in what she was doing, but in reality, Korra was a nervous mess on the inside. While attempting to ignore the nerves deep in her stomach, she managed to feign her signature crooked smile.

Asami raised a knuckle to her chin and spoke, "Well, there doesn't seem to be much around here other than those trees, so I'm assuming you have another place in mind."

"I do. This place is pretty nice, but I know of a better place where we can set up camp for the night. Not to mention this is where my fight with Kuvira ended, and I would rather not think about her at the moment."

"I understand," Asami said in a lower, more somber tone, but then she restored her excited expression and sauntered over to where Korra was standing. "So, one and only Avatar, how are we getting to this _better place_?" she playfully asked.

"All you have to do is close your eyes."

"That's all?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

Asami raised an eyebrow. "Well that doesn't sound too hard."

"That's because I'm doing the work. I just have to carry you along with me… Well, actually I'm not sure how it will work; I've never done this with anyone else before, so—"

"That's reassuring," Asami chuckled.

"Hey don't worry. I know what I'm doing." Korra looked at Asami for a moment and smiled. "Close your eyes."

Asami did as she asked and put her hands on her hips. "Ok, now what?"

Korra stepped forward, standing only inches away from her friend. In a smooth motion, she wrapped her arms around Asami, under her backpack, and drew her in close. Without flinching, Asami peeked one eye open and looked down at Korra. "If you wanted to hug me, you could have just said so," she teased.

"N-N-No. That's… That's not what I'm doing," Korra nervously reacted. She wasn't exactly expecting that response. "This is how I'll take us somewhere else in the Spirit World. It's something that Raava showed me how to do once… Just keep your eyes closed because the process can be a bit… disorienting."

Asami smirked and lowered her head while she slowly enveloped Korra in her own embrace. Her hands rested softly along Korra's back and strands of her hair was hanging down Korra's face. From her position, Korra lost focus in the intoxicating smell of her friend's sweet-smelling perfume. She would have stood there forever if she could have, breathing it all in. Korra began to unconsciously tighten her embrace around Asami as she took in an audible breath close to her neck.

"Korra?"

Focusing was indeed one of Korra's weak points. "Uh… S-Sorry." She quickly tried to think of a reason for the delay. "It takes a second to focus on a place to go." _Nailed it… _Korra shook away her distraction and focused on a place in the Spirit World. "Here we go."

The Avatar's eyes began to glow white and the ground around them seemed to move swiftly as Asami suddenly tightened her grip. Various colors flashed by in an instant as well as mountains, trees and clouds - all a blur. The sky became noticeably brighter, then darker, then brighter again as varying landscapes flew by under Korra and Asami's feet.

Then it was over.

Asami was still holding tightly onto Korra with her eyes clenched. The sudden transportation didn't make Korra's body feel any sense of movement, but it did cause her to have a sudden tightness in her chest, so Asami must have felt the same reaction. "It's OK, Asami," Korra spoke as she leaned out from her friend's neck. "You can open your eyes now."

Green eyes opened to survey the surrounding area. They were in a wooded area with tall trees all around them. The grass here was green, but it wasn't a normal grass-green; it was brighter, with a yellow tint. There was a thick canopy above both Korra and Asami, but there was some gaps in the foliage that revealed parts of the night-like sky.

Asami returned her gaze to Korra as the Avatar tugged on her arm. "Come on. We can set up camp here so we can get some sleep, and in the morning"—Korra grinned—"we can go to a nice place I know of that's not too far from here."

"I can't wait to see what you have in mind," Asami said as she stared straight into Korra's eyes with a warm smile. She seemed to convey a sense of happiness to Korra - a look that she hadn't seen on Asami in a _very _long time, or ever at all for that matter. In that moment, Korra realized that she still had her arms around Asami's waist, and Asami had her arms around Korra's.

But she didn't want to let go; the moment felt _right_. Korra looked from Asami's eyes to her perfect red lips. Just a few seconds felt like hours as she stared, and Korra wanted nothing more than to reach out and take Asami's cheek in her hand and pull her closer. The imaginary taste of Asami's lips made her own cheeks turn a deep red.

But Korra could tell that she had started to blush; her face felt noticeably hotter as the feeling spread across her cheeks, but being in the close position that they were in, Korra didn't want Asami to see. If she did notice, it would let on that Korra was enjoying the moment way too much, and Korra wasn't certain that she was ready to let Asami know how she really felt.

So she turned her head and walked away from Asami's embrace. As she did so, a small noise left Asami's lips, but Korra wasn't in the right mind to be able to tell what kind. She just knew that she had to calm herself, but at the same time, try to act completely normal… _Normal. _Korra didn't know how she could act anywhere near normal around Asami with the way her chest ached and her stomach turned. Nevertheless, she had to try.

Before Asami had the chance to speak, Korra spoke up as she took a few steps away. "This looks like a nice spot," she said as emotionless as possible while not turning around to face her friend. "Did you bring those sleeping bags that you said that you had?"

"Y-Yes… I did." Asami spoke in a more downcast tone of voice. She pulled off the large backpack that she had brought with her and shuffled through the insides. Seconds later, she withdrew two folded up sleeping bags, one of which she slowly handed to Korra who took it without looking.

Korra was the first to begin to prepare her sleeping bag, but she did so several feet away from where Asami was standing. Her idea was to put some distance between Asami and herself for her own sake. Then, she took off her own backpack and laid it down in the grass beside her and continued by taking off her boots, not saying a word or looking toward Asami.

Kneeling down, Korra began to unzip her sleeping bag, and once she had opened it, she turned and sat with her legs crossed on the inside of the bag and then pulled the cover over her legs. Korra hung her head low, but cast her eyes upward in Asami's direction.

She watched as Asami ran her hand through her raven hair and softly pulled her hair tie away, letting the illustrious black waves fall to her shoulders, which she then adjusted with an elegant flip of her head. Then, Asami began to remove her jacket, revealing a white, low-cut tank top underneath that tightly hugged her figure.

After Asami kicked off her boots, she picked up her sleeping bag with one hand and her backpack with the other. For a moment, she paused and seemed to consider a spot over by a nearby tree as a place to set up her sleeping bag. The tree was perfectly at a distance from Korra.

But apparently Asami had other plans.

She turned and sauntered over to Korra's immediate left and plopped her backpack down on the ground. _No. No, No, No… _Korra had just started to relax, but now her heart began to pick up its pace again. Sleeping this close to Asami wasn't the plan – not the plan _at all. _She took a deep breath as Asami fluffed out her sleeping bag mere_ inches_ away from Korra's. When she was done, Asami slid into her sleeping bag and turned to face Korra while she propped herself up on her elbow.

Korra knew that Asami was looking at her with those beautiful emerald eyes, but she didn't want to turn to face her. Well, she did, but she didn't. Asami didn't need to know that something was troubling her or the fact that it was Asami herself that was troubling her. Korra was just trying to act _normal_.

"Is there something wrong?" Asami said quietly with a hint of concern.

Korra clenched her eyes together and screamed to herself. _YES SOMETHING'S WRONG!_ At least, that was what she wanted to say. She wanted to turn to Asami right then and confess to her – say what she had wanted to say for months… But she couldn't; her heart pounded in her chest and her stomach was turning flips.

Instead, Korra glanced over to her friend and gave a feigned smile. "Oh no, I'm fine, Asami… I'm just a little tired." She lifted the cover of her sleeping bag and slid down inside. "We should really get some sleep though."

"We should." Asami turned over onto her back and settled in. "I guess I'll see you in the morning." Her voice was warm in Korra's ears.

"Yeah… Goodnight, Asami."

"Goodnight, Korra."

Then everything grew silent. Korra tossed to one side, facing away from Asami, and tried to get comfortable, but her mind wouldn't let her. As every second passed, she felt like she was hyper-aware of Asami's presence. Every breath and every small movement garnered Korra's attention.

While trying desperately to think of something else, Korra heard Jinora's voice.

_You can't go around hiding the fact that you love Asami forever, Korra... You have to tell her..._

_I will… I promise._


	2. A Spirited Welcome

Chapter 2: A Spirited Welcome

**A/N: Some plot shall be introduced in the next update. I hope you guys don't mind some Mako centered chapters through the story.**

**As always, comments are welcomed. Let me know if you like the chapters so far. This is my first experience with creative writing after all, so I would love some feedback.**

"Are you sure you don't want some company in the Southern Water Tribe?" Asami leaned down and lightly laid a hand on Korra's shoulder. "I'm happy to come with you."

Asami had already brought up the idea once before, but Korra had refused; however, she needed to at least ask one more time. In her mind, Asami was pleading, that this time, Korra would give a different response, but she knew that it was unlikely due to the severe depression that haunted her friend. Korra couldn't fight. She couldn't bend any of the elements. She couldn't even walk.

Every time that Asami saw that blank, lifeless stare in Korra's eyes, another part of herself shattered into pieces. That stare wasn't from the Korra that she knew – the Korra that she loved. Asami would have given anything to be able to pull Korra from the unspeakable darkness that claimed her soul.

Who would push Korra's wheelchair? Who would hold Korra if she has terrible nightmares in her sleep? Asami wanted to be there, in the South, to be able to do those things, but that was up to the Avatar.

Korra lowered her head and stared at her hands in her lap. "No. I appreciate it, but I'll only be gone a couple of weeks." She spoke with the same miserable tone that had plagued her since the fight with Zaheer. "A little time alone will be good for me."

Another part of Asami shattered. _A couple of weeks… It's already been a couple of weeks, and you haven't gotten better at all, Korra. _

But Asami knew that Korra would not change her mind, so she pushed the idea no further. For whatever reason, this was something that Korra believed she had to do on her own.

As the Avatar boarded the large vessel with the aid of her father, Asami used all of the energy that she had to prevent herself from crying. Her aching chest fought for control over her body, but Asami fought back and managed to wave and call out "Goodbye, Korra" before the transport ship began to slowly creep away from the docks of Air Temple Island.

_Goodbye, Korra._

Asami didn't know when Korra would return, but something in her was telling her that it was not going to be only a couple of weeks. As the others on the docks began to leave, she watched for a few more moments while the ship sailed toward the open ocean, gradually getting smaller and smaller as it approached the horizon.

A hand brought itself to Asami's shoulder, surprising her and shaking her gaze from the vessel in the distance. She quickly looked to her left to see Mako smiling at her. For some reason, his smile did nothing but make Asami even more upset. She even felt somewhat angry, but she didn't know why at first.

"Hey…" Mako spoke hesitantly as his smile left him. "Are you ok, Asami?"

Asami wanted to scoff at the ridiculous question, but she resisted the urge. "I'm fine," she flatly responded.

"Are you s—"Mako stopped himself when he noticed the dark expression that flashed across Asami's face.

She harshly shrugged Mako's hand off of her shoulder and narrowed her glaring eyes at him. "I'm sorry… Do I seem a little upset at the fact that Korra's been in a wheelchair for the past two weeks," she said with a strong sense of bitterness in her voice, "or that she's now left for _who knows how long_ to recover?"

"Um, I—"

"And I could ask you the same question, Mako." He was stunned by the hostility that Asami's words carried. "Are _you_ ok? Because, now that Korra's in this situation, I wouldn't think that you'd have that stupid smile on your face." Asami shoved past him and walked away, leaving Mako speechless where he stood with his mouth wide open in shock.

Asami wasn't in the right mind to deal with Mako or anyone else at that moment. With her heart aching and stomach turning, she wished only for solitude, so she hurried toward her room in the dormitories. At this time of day, most of the airbenders were off doing various chores around the island, leaving the dormitories empty. Asami would at least have the space to herself.

As she walked to the women's dorms, Asami could only think of Korra. Memories played in her head, flashing images of the Avatar lying close to death in the dirt as a restrained Zaheer laughed maniacally. She attempted to push the memories out, but they kept coming back, more vivid each time. Korra's screaming and cries of pain rang through her mind, causing Asami to grow more and more tense. Her nails bit into her palms as she pulled her hands into tight fists.

Asami reached out, opened the door to the dormitories and shuffled inside. Her breathing was sporadic as she slowly walked down the hall toward her room. She couldn't help but think that a couple of weeks sounded too optimistic for the condition that Korra was in. While Katara could help heal her body, Korra's darkened mental and emotional states couldn't be healed by a bit of spirit water. The once proud and boisterous Avatar had become terribly distant and rarely spoke; she now seemed to be only a shadow of her former self.

Finally coming to her room, Asami slid the door open and entered. Excluding the shaken sounds of her own breathing, the room was unnervingly quiet, and the room was dark, with minimal light coming through the one window. The gloomy setting gave no comfort to the tightening in Asami's chest, leading her to sit down onto her bed in an attempt to find relief. But none was found.

Asami tried to fight back the accumulating tears she felt in the corners of her eyes. Sitting on the bed, she backed herself against the wall, brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. The swell of emotion building in her was now almost too much to handle, but she continued to fight.

_Why did it have to be Korra? _

Just when Asami had begun to accept the fact that she had feelings for the Avatar, Zaheer took her away. And even though Asami tried to remain hopeful, there was a chance that Korra would never recover; the poison could have been in her system for too long. Asami ached at the thought that she would never again get to see that same girl she had fallen in love with – a thought that made Asami lose her fight.

She buckled into her knees and let go of the tears that she held back; they came pouring forth, spilling down her pale cheeks as she sobbed relentlessly. She let go and gave up all of the emotion that had swelled inside her while her once beautiful eyes became red and overwhelmed by limitless tears. Asami wrung her fingers through her dark hair and pulled at the roots as the sorrowful sounds of her cries echoed through the dorms.

* * *

><p>Asami sharply inhaled as she suddenly woke from her dream. Feeling the deep pounding of her heart, she clutched at her chest in an attempt to relax. Her memories of that day three years ago were still etched into the back of her mind, refusing to be dispelled. As Asami calmed slightly, she lifted her hands to firmly massage her face and then proceeded to stretch out her arms to the extent of their range with a heavy yawn.<p>

Finally opening her dreary eyes, Asami noticed where she was; she had almost forgotten. _The Spirit World_. While she laid still on her back, she took note of how much brighter and full of life that her surroundings appeared now that the area was in a day-time state. Light poured through the openings in the canopies of the tall trees around Asami and bathed her in a warm glow. It was an incredibly soothing feeling, one that was somewhat different from the heat of normal sunlight. But of course, nothing in the Spirit World so far had appeared completely normal.

With a small grunt, the heiress pulled herself up into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes. _Wait—_Asami glanced to her right, with what she saw bringing a smile to her face. Somehow in her sleepy haze, Asami had almost forgotten that Korra was lying right next to her. She rubbed her face a third time in an attempt to fully bring herself awake and focused.

Korra was on her side facing Asami with one arm clumsily draped over her head. Her disheveled brown hair was covering most of her face, only revealing her nose and her mouth. Asami chuckled at the humorous sight while she watched Korra loudly breathe in and out through her mouth. Even in such an awkward position, Asami couldn't help but see how adorable Korra was while she slept.

Asami's dream crossed her mind again, but this time, she was able to drive it with away with little effort. Korra wasn't hundreds of miles away recovering in the Southern Water Tribe. She wasn't in a wheelchair. She wasn't gone.

_Korra's right here. _

The Avatar calmly stirred and shifted onto her back while smirking in her sleep; she seemed so peaceful. There had been no nightmare that Asami had to wake her from, and Asami didn't have to hold her while she trembled in a sweating mess. Korra was at peace. Asami couldn't refuse to give a warm smile at the woman before her. Three years ago, she would have given anything to see Korra this way again.

Asami reached down and brushed Korra's wild tresses out of her face, revealing Korra's closed eyes. But in doing so, Asami saw something very intriguing that she had not noticed, mostly because her gaze had been locked onto Korra. Around their sleeping bags, beautiful flowers had grown somehow overnight. Of how they got there or where they came from, Asami had no clue, but she was captivated by their magnificent colors. Various shades of blue, red, and white covered the area surrounding Korra and Asami.

This was the Spirit World after all. Asami did not expect to understand everything about it, including how patches of flowers could grow suddenly in a night. _Maybe Korra would know_, Asami thought. But she settled to wait until Korra woke on her own.

While she waited, Asami reflected on the night before. Surprisingly, Korra had invited her to go this vacation – a vacation with just the two of them. It was a move that stunned Asami; after three years gone from her closest friends, the Avatar asked _only her_ to go. But then Korra had seemed off the rest of the night. She appeared to be focused on something else while the two of them walked to the Spirit Portal, and when they finally arrived at the area that they were now in, Korra suddenly seemed to have shifted her attitude to one that was more aloof. Was she upset about something?

Then Asami remembered their embrace when they quickly traveled through the Spirit World. The heiress blushed while remembering how good it felt to hold the Avatar; she had felt Korra's breath on her neck, which sent chills down her spine. She loved Korra and cherished the embraced, but in the process, forgot that, at least in Korra's eyes, they were just friends. Asami felt that she may have held on a little too long; _that_ could have been the reason why Korra walked away from her so quickly.

_I just had to make it awkward, didn't I? _

While sitting on her sleeping bad with her legs crossed, Asami laid her face in her palms with a sigh. But maybe it wasn't her own actions that made Korra act strange. _What if—No, that couldn't be it_, she thought to herself while she peeked out from her hands at a sleeping Korra. It was a thought that Asami had hoped was true or would eventually come true – that the Avatar might have any feelings for her beyond those of friendship. It would have been one way to explain why Asami was the only one with Korra on this vacation.

Asami furrowed her brow and let out another sigh. _It's too early for wishful thinking_, she said to herself. She thought of how the Avatar had dated Mako and shown no interest in other women before, so she was surely not a romantic interest for Korra. Asami then pushed her palm into her forehead with a chuckle. She had just described her own self. Asami had also dated Mako and never shown any interest in other women, except for Korra. So maybe there was a chance—

"A-Asami," a breathy voice called out to her, pulling Asami out of her thoughts.

She turned to see blue eyes stirring from their sleep. "Korra, you're awake," Asami said as she shifted to face the Avatar and be a little closer.

Korra stretched out her body as she yawned. "How long have you been up?" she spoke as she rubbed her face.

"Only a few minutes. Did you sleep well?"

"Wonderfully," Korra responded with a smile. "You?"

Asami thought for a moment about the dream she had woken from, but she decided not to mention it. "I slept very well."

The Avatar sat quiet for a moment while she laid back and closed her eyes. She seemed to be enjoying the warm light as Asami had done minutes ago, but then the mysterious flowers crossed Asami's mind again.

"Korra."

"Yeah?" Korra responded without opening her eyes, deep in relaxation.

"Do you know how all of these flowers popped up overnight?"

Korra raised up with a puzzled expression. "What flowers?" Then she saw them and froze. Korra's eyes widened and her face turned a light shade of red. She had a look that seemed to reflect embarrassment while she eyed the surrounding flowers.

Korra's flushed appearance confused Asami. "Do you know anything about them?"

The Avatar quickly darted her gaze back to Asami. "N-no," she said as she flashed her eyes to the flowers behind Asami. "Um… I mean… the Spirit World is a strange place. Sometimes it just does weird things for no reason." Korra gave a nervous chuckle as she pushed her hair back across her face.

"Ok." Asami said in a quizzical manner. For someone who was the Avatar and had been to the Spirit World many times, Korra seemed quite surprised by a patch of flowers. Asami didn't really know what to think about it, but she decided to let it go. Asami stood up and stretched her arms. She bounced on her toes as she turned to Korra. "So, what do you have planned for us today?"

Korra clumsily stood up, apparently still sluggish from waking up, and brushed off her clothes. "A nice breakfast at a beautiful venue," she said with a grin. "We should pack up and head there now."

The two women proceeded to fold up their sleeping bags, which Asami put back into her larger pack. They put their boots back on, and Asami put on her jacket. Korra then began to lead the way away from their camp, but while they walked, one question crossed Asami's mind.

"Why haven't we seen any spirits?"

"You'll see," Korra said glancing behind her with a sly grin.

Korra continued leading the way with Asami close behind as they pushed past bushes and low hanging branches. The further they walked, the forest around them grew thicker. Countless vines hung from nearby trees, blocking their visibility past a few feet. Although she couldn't see anything in front of them, Asami trusted that Korra knew where she was going.

Then Asami began to hear what sounded like the roar of falling water and other muffled noises, but she couldn't tell what they were. "We're here," Korra said as she pushed past the final wall of vines. Asami stooped under the vegetation and finally looked at her surroundings. A look of astonishment crossed her face as she took it all in.

A giant waterfall poured from a cliff on the left, giving life to an oasis below which glistened in the light. Spirits, big and small, were chatting and playing on the banks of the oasis while the surrounding flora was a mixture of vibrant purples and cool blues. The area seemed like a beautiful secluded gem amongst the more rugged forest. The beauty of the location nearly rendered Asami speechless.

Asami looked at Korra, who was already observing her reaction. "Korra…" She had trouble finding the words to describe her excitement.

"It's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Korra said with a small giggle. She seemed to be enjoying Asami's dumbfounded expression. "I did tell you I had a nice place in mind."

_She picked this place for us. _Asami began to get a little warm in the face. She tried to search for the words to express how she felt. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before she managed to whisper, "_It's perfect._"

"Well"—Korra took Asami's hand—"I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Come on," Korra said as she began to lead Asami to a clear space on the edge of the oasis.

Before they reached the edge of the oasis, a small birdlike spirit noticed Korra as they walked towards the water. "Avatar Korra!" it chirped as it pumped its wings to close some of the distance between them. "Hey, guys! The Avatar is here!" The rest of the nearby spirits stopped what they were doing and turned to see Korra and Asami. They, like the first spirit, swiftly moved to greet the Avatar.

A crowd began to gather around the Avatar as numerous spirits were all greeting Korra at once. Asami could barely think over all of the commotion, but in some way, she was relieved that most of the attention was focused on Korra. She looked over at her friend and saw that Korra seemed somewhat lost in all of the voices. She tried addressing each and every spirit that said hello, but she appeared to be overwhelmed by all of the attention.

Korra let go of Asami's hand as a small, plump spirit jumped into her arms. "Hi, Avatar Korra," it said in a cheery, high pitched voice. "It's nice to see you again."

"It's nice to see you too," Korra responded with a kind smile while she was catching her breath from all of the attention.

"Who's your friend?" it asked, pointing one of its appendages toward Asami.

Korra paused for a moment but then glanced at Asami with narrow eyes and a wicked smile. She turned to face Asami and took a couple of steps backward. _Wait, what is she doing? _Asami thought; she flashed a questioning look to Korra, who only responded with a laugh as she put some distance between the two of them. Asami's eyes widened as she began to realize what Korra was about to do. _Don't you do it, Korra! _A look of worry flashed in her eyes as she took a cautious step backward.

"Attention everyone!" Korra raised her voice to calm the bustling spirits. She eased the one that she was holding to the ground and gave Asami a look that seemed to scream o_h, you're about to get it. _"Guys, this"—she dramatically gestured toward Asami—"is Asami Sato, a great friend of mine!" Korra purposefully put more effort and excitement into her voice to rouse the spirits. One by one, all of the spirits started to turn their attention to Asami, some taking a few steps toward her. "This is her first time _ever _visiting the Spirit World, and she's been dying to meet you guys."

Asami raised her palms up in front of her in a defensive motion and took another step back. "_Korra—_"

"Why don't you all give her a very special Spirit World welcome?!" Korra yelled as she pumped her fist in the air.

_Oh no…_

Suddenly, all of the spirits were yelling "Asami!" and "Miss Sato!" as they dashed toward her with more eagerness than they showed Korra. Asami attempted to wave them off, but they remained persistent. The spirits piled up in front of Asami as she took a couple more steps back. Then, two spirits wrapped firmly around her legs, causing her to stumble backwards with a squeal while she fell to the ground.

The larger spirits crowded around Asami while some of the smaller ones got closer as the previous two spirits were still attached to her legs. As a few spirits held her hair and studied it with awe, the birdlike spirit that had noticed the two women first hopped up onto Asami's chest and looked into her eyes.

"It's nice to meet you, Asami Sato," it chirped with a joyful tone as it cocked its head back and forth as it looked at her. "Any friend of the Avatar is a friend of ours." The rest of the spirits shouted out in agreement.

Slightly disoriented from the fall, Asami looked up to the numerous figures around her. There were so many shapes and sizes, as well as colors. _At least they're kind spirits_, she thought. "N-Nice to meet you too—_uh_, do you have a name that I can call you?"

"You can call me Kotori, Miss Sato."

"Well, nice to meet you, Kotori… and the rest of you, too," Asami grunted as she tried to lean up, still sore from falling backwards. The spirit moved back to the ground to give Asami some room to get up.

Asami stood while shaking her head at the situation. She brushed off her pants but then narrowed her eyes when she noticed Korra. The Avatar was doubled over with her arms over her stomach in uncontrollable laughter that caused her to repeatedly gasp for breath. Asami decided to get Korra back, so she strutted over toward her while she took off her backpack.

Korra was still bent over in her laughter, so she couldn't see Asami approach. "Oh, you think that was funny?" Asami quipped right as Korra shot her eyes up to see Asami running toward her, but Korra was too late to react; Asami took the opportunity to pounce, causing both of them to fall in the grass with Asami on top.

They both struggled for a moment but then grabbed each other's hands, interlocking their fingers. Asami straddled Korra at the waist with their bodies parallel and fought for control in an attempt to pin Korra's hands above her head. However, while Asami may have had the upper hand in technique, she couldn't match the Avatar's strength. Korra flexed her wrist and pushed, but because their hands were firmly locked and Asami was giving an equal effort, it caused Asami to lift up off of Korra.

Taking advantage of the new position, Korra tucked in her knees in and flipped Asami over her head while breaking their connection. Korra made a victorious laugh as she twisted around to get to Asami, but she was too late; Asami managed to tackle her again. This time, the heiress used all of her weight to force Korra's hands above her head.

After she made sure Korra was secured, she let go of one hand while she held on with the other. She leaned in closely to Korra's face as she pouted. "_Aww_, you thought you had me for a second didn't you?" she purred while staring into Korra's blue eyes. Korra winced as she still attempted to free herself, but Asami was pushing her weight down onto both of Korra's hands while she held them.

Asami ran her index finger across Korra's face and then pressed her hand into the center of Korra's chest. "But now I have you," she whispered in a low tone.

Seeing that struggling was useless, Korra turned her eyes to Asami's and then to the hand on her chest. "What are you gonna do to me?" she asked.

A rosy color flashed across Asami's cheeks in response to Korra's word choice while she suddenly became aware of just how much of a sensual position they were in. She was straddling the pinned Avatar again and was inches from her face. Her eyes grew wide and her heart raced as she looked back to Korra, who was now blushing just as much as Asami.

Raising her eyebrows, Korra seemed to realize what she had just said "I—I mean… _Um_," she stuttered as she darted her eyes between Asami's eyes and her hand.

"Well it looks like she beat you, Avatar!" Kotori chirped, extinguishing the tension that had risen in Asami's chest.

Asami plucked her hand away and released Korra. She leaned up and put her hands on her hips while clearing her throat. "Yes I did," she said flatly while she got up off of Korra. Asami brushed her hands against her clothes a few times and looked back to the oasis. "So… You said something about breakfast?"

She heard nothing in response, so she turned back to see Korra, still blushing as she stared off into space.


End file.
